Ma’ale Adumim, East of Jerusalem

The large posters appeared just after Succot. Billboard sized posters were on a barrier next to the sidewalk. Larger ones hung down, covering six stories of a hotel wall. The posters unveiled a campaign to extend Israeli sovereignty over the city of Ma’ale Adumim, one of the largest cities in Yehuda (Judea). Each poster featured a photo of a former Prime Minister, quoting him as having supported the building of Ma’ale Adumim. In the Knesset opening sessions, several Members brought up annexation of the city. Annexation supporters included Yuli Edelstein, the Speaker of the Knesset, and Naftali Bennett, the head of the Bayit Yehudi party.

Ma’ale Adumim is located in the Judean Desert, east of Jerusalem, on the other side of the 1949 armistice line. The armistice line is often called the “green line,” because that’s the color of the wax marker Moshe Dayan used to indicate where Israeli troops stood at the time of the armistice talks. Being to the east of that blurry line puts Ma’ale Adumim in what was the West Bank area of Jordan from 1949 to 1967. Western media still refer to the area as the “West Bank,” or as “Occupied Territories.” Most Israelis prefer to call it by its Biblical name, Yehuda, or occasionally as “Disputed Territories.”

Along much of its length, the green line can be identified from the air. On the Israeli side, farms, parks, and forests make the land green. On the Arab side, the bare land is a light tan color.

Allen with Benny Kashriel, the Mayor of Ma’ale Adumim

During Sukkot, Allen and I spent most of a day in Ma’ale Adumim with One Israel Fund, which helps the city by providing security and emergency equipment. Benny Kashriel, the mayor spent several hours with us showing us his city and explaining its situation.

Benny mentioned that they are always pushing and demonstrating for a law that will make Ma’ale Adumim a legal part of Israel. At the moment, they are under military control, as are all areas in Yehuda and Shomron. One of the disadvantages of not being part of Israel is that they need the permission of the IDF to build anything, even an addition to an existing house. Like many other Israeli cities, Ma’ale Adumim, suffers from a housing shortage. Often children who were born and grew up in the city want to move back when they marry, but cannot because there are no apartments available.

The recent decision by PM Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman to authorize building 560 apartments in the city will help, but not resolve, the housing crisis. Because housing near Jerusalem is more affordable than in the capital, more people want to live in Ma’ale Adumim than can be accommodated even with the additional homes. The housing crisis here will not be resolved soon.

I first heard of the city in 1983, on a family trip to Israel. As our bus wound its way down through the empty desert from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, the guide waved his arm northwards. He told us that a new city was being built there. The planners chose the location as part of Yitzchak Rabin’s plan to build a security ring around the capital city. Ma’ale Adumim guards the eastern approach to Jerusalem. It was projected to house 100,000 residents when completed. However, the city has been unable to reach its planned size.

The Arabs do not own the land. Nonetheless, they object to Israel using it. The area on the top of the ridge of mountains could be used to connect parts of an eventual Palestinian state. They ignore the large area to the east which could also serve the same purpose. Other Arab countries support their position. They have also recruited support from the European Union and the US.

Because of this international pressure, the Israeli government has instituted a series of building freezes on the city. So today, Ma’ale Adumim has a population of only about 40,000.

Benny said he has tried to work with the Arab mayors of the nearby towns. For example, he has offered to collect their trash. However, allowing Israel to collect their garbage would be interpreted as normalization. Normalization is outlawed by the PA, so the mayors refused the offer. Instead, the Arabs burn their trash. The resulting smoke pollutes the air and decreases the quality of life downwind in Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem.

Ma’ale Adumim is located in the Judean Desert, east of Jerusalem, on the other side of the 1949 armistice line. This line is often called the “green line,” because that’s the color of the wax marker Moshe Dayan used to indicate where Israeli troops stood at the time of the armistice talks. Being to the east of that blurry line puts Ma’ale Adumim in what was the West Bank area of Jordan from 1949 to 1967. Western media still refer to the area as the “West Bank,” or as “Occupied Territories.” Most Israelis prefer to call it by its Biblical name, Yehuda, or occasionally as “Disputed Territories.”

Along much of its length, the green line can be identified from the air. On the Israeli side, farms, parks, and forests make the land green. On the Arab side, the bare land is a light tan color.

During Sukkot, Allen and I spent most of a day in Ma’ale Adumim with One Israel Fund, which helps the city by providing security and emergency equipment. Benny Kashriel, the mayor spent several hours with us showing us his city and explaining its situation.

Benny mentioned that they are always pushing and demonstrating for a law that will make Ma’ale Adumim a legal part of Israel. At the moment, they are under military control, as are all areas in Yehuda and Shomron. One of the disadvantages of not being part of Israel is that they need the permission of the IDF to build anything, even an addition to an existing house. Like many other Israeli cities, Ma’ale Adumim, suffers from a housing shortage. Often children who were born and grew up in the city want to move back when they marry, but cannot because there are no apartments available.

The recent decision by PM Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman to authorize building 560 apartments in the city will help, but not resolve, the housing crisis. Because housing near Jerusalem is more affordable than in the capital, more people want to live in Ma’ale Adumim than can be accommodated even with the additional homes. The housing crisis here will not be resolved soon.

I first heard of the city in 1983, on a family trip to Israel. As our bus wound its way down through the empty desert from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, the guide waved his arm north of the road and told us that a new city was being built there. The planners chose the location as part of Yitzchak Rabin’s plan to build a security ring around the capital city. Ma’ale Adumim guards the eastern approach to Jerusalem. It was projected to house 100,000 residents when completed. However, the city has been unable to reach its planned size.

The Arabs do not own the land. Nonetheless, they object to Israel using it. The area on the top of the ridge of mountains could be used to connect parts of an eventual Palestinian state. They ignore the large area to the east which could also serve the same purpose. Other Arab countries support their position, and they have recruited additional support from the European Union and the US.

Because of this international pressure, the Israeli government has instituted a series of building freezes on the city. So today, Ma’ale Adumim has a population of only about 40,000.

Benny said he has tried to work with the Arab mayors of the nearby towns. For example, he has offered to collect their trash. However, allowing Israel to collect their garbage would be interpreted as normalization. Normalization is outlawed by the PA, so the mayors refused the offer. Instead, the Arabs burn their trash. The resulting smoke pollutes the air and decreases the quality of life downwind in Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem.

The city has also offered to handle sewage generated by the Arab towns. Currently, the raw sewage runs off, polluting underground water and posing a public health hazard. Ma’ale Adumim would process the sewage and return the recycled water to the Arabs to use for agriculture. Israel currently reclaims 85% of its waste water, using it to irrigate farms and in parks all over Israel. But the Arabs refuse to work with the Jews, even when it would be to their own benefit.

Benny has served as mayor of Ma’ale Adumim since 1992, having won each election with more than 84% of the votes. As mayor, he has overseen much of the growth of the city. It is a beautiful city, full of trees and greenery. The city boasts a cultural center, a shopping mall, and a large community center with indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There are seventeen elementary schools and four high schools, including one for religious girls that attracts students from all over the country. The beautiful library has large holdings of books in multiple languages.

The population of the city is diverse, and includes people with varying levels of religious observance, from totally secular through Orthodox. About 600 babies are born to city residents yearly and there are about 1200 elderly residents, two-thirds of whom are Holocaust survivors. The Golden Age Club, which has almost 700 members, meets daily.

Later in the day on the bus, one of the people from One Israel Fund spoke about what they do for towns in Yehuda and Shomron. They have donated and installed security cameras and systems in many towns. OIF is now raising funds to set up video surveillance in twenty additional sites in Ma’ale Adumim to further improve its security. Security personnel in almost every town in Yehuda and Shomron have bullet proof vests and emergency medical packs thanks to the OIF. The organization has also provided beautiful state-of-the-art playgrounds in numerous smaller towns.

Most of these towns would like to see Israeli sovereignty extended. When Jordan conquered Yehuda and Shomron, it declared sovereignty over the whole area, renaming it the “West Bank.” Between 1950 and 1967, while the West Bank was an integral part of Jordan, its citizens did not develop the area. Under Israeli control, the area has reclaimed its Biblical names. People have settled there, established farms, and built cities. The land has become productive. Many feel that it is now time to establish Israeli sovereignty.

Benny Kashriel thinks sovereignty should start with Ma’ale Adumim. The first salvo of the campaign was fired at the end of October. Citizens of Ma’ale Adumim drove in a convoy down to the Knesset to demonstrate. That same day the posters of the prime ministers appeared. One poster shows Ehud Barak, who in 2000 declared “All that you build in Ma’ale Adumim is a permanent part of the State of Israel, period.” On another poster Ariel Sharon states “Ma’ale Adumim will be built as a part of the State of Israel forever.”

Poster of Shimon Peres promoting sovereignty for Ma’ale Adumim

There’s also a poster with a 1978 quote from Shimon Peres: “Ma’ale Adumim will secure the strengthening of Jerusalem.” This poster has sparked a controversy. Mr. Peres’ family objects. I am sure he believed in Ma’ale Adumim’s future when he spoke about it 38 years ago. However, by the time of his death last month, he no long supported annexing it, or most of the other towns in Yehuda or Shomron. The family opposes using his image for a cause he would not have supported were he still alive.